DENVER — Sitting around is not part of Matthew Gurule’s strategy when it comes to wrestling.

“It was kind of frustrating, and it was making me a little bit mad just sitting there,” said the Central High School sophomore, recalling the second period of his Class 5A, 103-pound first-round match Thursday at Denver’s Pepsi Center.

Already having formed a 4-1 lead in the first period against Justin O’Hara of Pine Creek, Gurule, who advanced to a quarterfinal championship match on an 8-2 decision, was in position to rack up a bunch of points.

O’Hara slowed that process down by sitting on top of Gurule for most of the period.
“I just sat in his legs, and I just kept trying to get out of his legs,” he explained. “There just wasn’t a whole lot done there.”

Gurule made up for it in the third period. “I just had to go in there and wrestle harder,” he said.

That wasn’t a problem when Gurule opened the third period upright instead of being wrapped around O’Hara’s legs.

Operating from a standing position, the Warriors wrestler scored a quick two-point takedown on a leg trip 30 seconds in. Gurule scored the final points of the match with a two-point near fall after O’Hara scored on a escape.

In other early first-round matches involving area wrestlers, Grand Junction High’s Geronimo Gemoya earned a 5-0 decision over crosstown rival Sean Cholas of Central at 119 pounds. The Warriors’ 125-pound Jesus Rodriguez returned the favor with a 9-6 decision over Pace Bates of the Tigers.

Grand Junction junior Anthony Guillen and Daniel Rodriguez of Central will have to battle their way back through the consolation bracket after suffering their first losses of the double-elimination tournament.

Guillen lost 11-6 to Dominic Madril in the 112-pound division. Rodriguez absorbed a 12-8 loss against Daryl Jackson of Colorado Springs-Mitchell at 130 pounds.
Palisade, the only area school in the Class 4A tournament, got off to a rough start. Casey Thornton of the Bulldogs lost a tough 8-6 decision to Pueblo Central freshman Alex Baca.

Results of later Class 4A and 5A matches Thursday evening were not available at press time.

Class 4A and 5A championship quarterfinal matches start at 1 p.m. today. Wrestlers who fell to the consolation round compete at 7:15 p.m. The tournament concludes Saturday with third round and semifinal consolation matches in the afternoon.
Championship finals start with the Parade of Champions at 6:30 p.m. Saturday evening.